Common sense, not hysteria, needed for gun debate

The Crossroads of the West Gun Show returns this weekend to the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The Utah-based group has been staging five gun shows a year in Del Mar for 22 years, generating a huge profit for the fairgrounds – and at the same time teaching visitors a thing or two about responsible gun ownership.

It’s understandable that in the wake of the horror at Sandy Hook some local residents petitioned the 22nd Agricultural District Board, which runs the fairgrounds, to cancel its contract with Crossroads of the West. Critics found a sympathetic ear with the Del Mar City Council, which passed a resolution urging that all gun shows be canceled.

But that reaction is misguided. California has among the toughest gun-show laws in the country. No assault weapons or high-capacity magazines are for sale at the Del Mar gun shows, and “nobody can walk out of the show with a gun,” says Crossroads president Bob Templeton.

Templeton has met with Vice President Joe Biden on ways to combat gun violence, and the association he heads, the National Association of Arms Shows in America, advocates strict compliance with laws and safety rules.

We sympathize with all victims of gun violence. But we believe there are better answers than this war on guns. Education, more treatment options for the mentally ill – let’s use common sense, not hysteria.